There's more than burnt bangers to the fine art of barbecue cuisine

One Yorkshire business is changing its image, however, with a cleaner barbecue that doesn't just cook burgers and sausages but salmon, Peking Duck and even chocolate brownies.

Now Weber, based in Skipton, is growing despite the English suffering a summer of gales, downpours and an early World Cup exit.

The recession and the increase in people holidaying at home has helped push the firm to its most successful year, with sales already up 20 per cent on the whole of last year.

It is on course to turn over just under 15m for the 12 months to the end of September and has set up a Grill Academy to change the way the nation cooks its meat.

John Cooper, managing director of Weber, said: "We have had a good year although it has been a pretty average summer. We have seen a lot of staycations and that has had an effect.

"There has been a bit of a pent-up desire to get out in the garden.

"We've seen charcoal grills selling particularly well – with our One Touch Premium and compact, portable grills being the real stars. Our gas Genesis range and Weber Q gas models have also hit the mark with customers."

The firm has also seen strong sales of accessories, such as briquettes – a type of brick made from flammable material – as more consumers go for charcoal barbecues.

Weber's barbecues or "outdoor ovens" can be closed, meaning food can be cooked without having to face the fumes associated with a traditional Australian-style barbecue.

Its portable grills and charcoal grills can be used to cook far more than just meat, with salmon wraps, pizzas and puddings featuring in the Weber recipe book.

To help change the culinary habits of a nation, Weber set up a Grill Academy in Marsh Baldon, Oxfordshire, in February, which is believed to be Britain's first dedicated barbecue cookery school

"We had the idea a few weeks ago and thought the UK was not right for it. Then we opened a cooking school in Denmark, Germany and France and now we have had a lot of corporate interest.

"We are trying to teach the UK consumer how to barbecue properly."

More than 300 people have registered for the academy masterclasses, which started last month and cover grilling, roasting, baking and smoking and run from April to December.

The rest of the time is spent on training staff from shops and garden centres. About 400 workers have gone through the school in this way so they can pass their expertise on to customers.

The firm has also expanded its team, taking on a supply chain manager, a field sales manager, a marketing executive and an assistant manager for the Grill Academy. It now has 35 staff.

The majority of Weber's barbecues are made at its factory in Chicago, although it also uses industrial space in China and Taiwan, where it makes about a tenth of its equipment.

Christmas turkey on the barbecue?

Weber's Complete Barbecue Book has sold 25,000 copies in the UK since it was launched in March. The firm also lists recipes on its website, with dishes such as beer can chicken, classic hamburgers in toasted sesame buns and beer-marinated chicken tacos.

John Cooper, who grew up using traditional barbecues, has a further innovation in mind.

"I would love to convince the UK to do their Christmas turkey on a barbecue – it tastes better because it is more moist."